Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko has apologised to the parents of two babies who were switched at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Tuesday.
A 35-year-old mother, who had given birth to a baby boy on Monday, was discharged with the wrong infant.
A security guard at the hospital noticed that the baby boy had a name tag which did not match that of the mother and immediately alerted the nursing staff.
The second mother, whose child was mistakenly released to the wrong family, was later reunited with her child.
Nkomo-Ralehoko says they will take action against those involved in the negligence.
He says the team on duty did not follow the standard operating procedure.
Nkomo-Ralehoko says when the mistake was realised the mother and baby who had left were fetched from home within a couple of hours and taken back to the hospital where the matter was resolved.
Both families also agreed to conduct DNA tests to put the matter to rest.
